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Iceland 17th on Good Country Index

Iceland ranks 17th on the Good Country Index, which uses data from the UN and other international agencies. The new index measures “what each country on earth contributes to the common good of humanity, and what it takes away” by looking at science and technology, culture, international peace and security, world order, planet and climate, prosperity and equality and health and wellbeing.

According to the man behind the index, independent policy advisor Simon Anholt, the Good Country Index doesn’t measure what countries do at home but rather aims to start a global discussion about how countries can balance their duty to their own citizens with their responsibility to the wider world.

Ireland tops the list of 125 countries, followed by Finland, Switzerland, the Netherlands and New Zealand. The other Nordic countries, Sweden, Norway and Denmark, are also in the top 10 while Libya bottoms out.